Hello Friends & Activists...
I hope you all will check out the following website which will link you to the info on the first ever U.S. Social Forum to be held in Atlanta, GA next week from 6/27 thru 7/1 !! What is the Social Forum? Well... here are the words from the website www.ussf2007.org
The US Social Forum is more than a conference, more than a networking bonanza, more than a reaction to war and repression.
The USSF will provide space to build relationships, learn from each other's experiences, share our analysis of the problems our communities face, and bring renewed insight and inspiration. It will help develop leadership and develop consciousness, vision, and strategy needed to realize another world.
The USSF sends a message to other people’s movements around the world that there is an active movement in the US opposing US Policies at home and abroad.
We must declare what we want our world to look like and begin planning the path to get there. A global movement is rising. The USSF is our opportunity to demonstrate to the world Another World is Possible!
Yours truly will be there tabling my wonderful fair trade goods from Serendipity Fair Trade and will make some great connections with people and organizations around the country in the hopes of doing more good work! If you can come up for the event....PLEASE DO and let me know if you are coming... my email is mindystone1@yahoo.com
peace,
Mindy
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Big Decision....DUMP Trans Fair USA !
Dear fair trade friends....
After giving considerable thought to what I heard at the Fair Trade Federation conference and debating the "Starbucks" 5% fair trade coffee beans issue with the Trans Fair people at both the Specialty Coffee Assoc. of America and at the FTF conference I have decided that if TransFairUSA wanted to hold a double-standard for small coffee roasters and multi-national corporations then I would have to take a principled stand and DUMP the "TransFairUSA" certification on my bags of coffee and I will notify Ithica Fine Chocolates that I would prefer they dump their TransFairUSA certification on their Art Bars and instead purchase their cocoa as a "direct buyer" from their co-op connection in Bolivia and tell them why. One HUGE benefit of direct buying is being able to give the cooperative MORE money (avoiding the fees for having the certification stamp in the first place) and allowing my coffee roaster to avoid their fees and the daunting audit process.
I have had a few conversations with small, people and business conscious coffee roasters like mine (Nora & Chris at Sweetwater) who are tired of the unfair behavior Trans Fair lays on them and the "hands-off" attitude they have with giant, wealthier coffee roasters and brewers like Starbucks and McDonalds! I am too! So, I guess once you read the article below you will understand why I am upset and feel the need to make a change.
I am beginning to see that what I really want is to promote relationships. I want to cultivate a relationship with my customers and my suppliers....this means I want my customers to do the same...really what this amounts to is becoming more trusting in each other. You trust that I will uphold my standards as a retailer to deal with "fairly traded" goods and I will make sure that my vendors are helping me to keep my word to you, my customers. Doesn't this sound rather "organic"? I LOVE IT !!! Direct relationships is the alternative to the labeling of "fair trade" when well intentioned people cannot get others to do the right thing.
peace.....Mindy : )
Dean's Beans and the Fairer Trade
Filed on Jun 15, 2007 at 8:55 AM PST By Alicia Erickson
Share: Digg Hugg Del.icio.us Reddit More by this writer
Brady provided a detailed description of the various Fair Trade labels and to which products they can be applied, but what is the real difference between them? Labels such as the TransFairUSA are applied to specific transactions, so you can be assured that the coffee or banana you are buying has met the Fair Trade criteria. However, this label does not ensure the company is committed to the goals and ideals behind Fair Trade in all their business.
Conversely, the Fair Trade Federation looks at the entire company, whether it is producer, wholesaler or retailer, and requires that they commit 100% to the Fair Trade ideals. Why does this make a difference? Unfortunately, as Fair Trade has gained popularity, some companies have taken advantage and used a few Fair Trade transactions as a marketing boost for their entire company’s public image.
One coffee company, Dean's Beans, has taken a different approach towards their Fair Trade model. Seeing some of the failings of the traditional certification labels and unhappy with the "great pretenders," they have chosen to become members of the Fair Trade Federation and commit 100% as a company to those ideals, and forego the TransFairUSA certification. They have found that there are less than "a dozen Fair Trade coffee companies in the USA." In fact, some of the larger companies (Starbucks, Seattle's Best, Green Mountain) that could make a significant impact in thousands of farmers lives have committed only to buying Fair Trade beans for 1-12% of their total purchases. And while farmers must meet stringent transparency and accountability guidelines, the companies purchasing the coffee are not held to the same standard, and often refuse to release the actual percentage of their coffee that is Fair Trade (a conspicuous requirement missing from TransFair).
While any size commitment to Fair Trade purchases is certainly positive, it sits a bit poorly when some of the loudest and proudest are sometimes the companies doing the least. "It's important to remember that Fair Trade is an economic agreement, it's not a type of coffee." With only 20% of Fair Trade eligible coffee being sold as such and the remainder going at conventional pricing, there is certainly a great opportunity for these companies to increase their purchases.
Dean's Beans has laid out a business model they hope others will adopt and raise practices above Fair Trade standards:
All purchases from certified organic FLO cooperatives.
All purchases at or above international Fair Trade price.
Prefinancing whenever financially possible.
Additional six cent/lb Social Equity Premium paid to farmers for distribution, development, internal expenses, or however they choose to use funds.
An independent, public audit by Quality Assurance International of our Fair Trade practices, to be posted right here for all to see!
While it is positive such large companies from Starbucks to Wal-Mart to McDonalds have begun offering Fair Trade options, it is not enough. As consumers, it is our responsibility to seize the opportunity and demand more of a commitment to the entire idea of Fair Trade, and not be sedated with their small offerings, but rather push them to higher standards of business throughout their company.
After giving considerable thought to what I heard at the Fair Trade Federation conference and debating the "Starbucks" 5% fair trade coffee beans issue with the Trans Fair people at both the Specialty Coffee Assoc. of America and at the FTF conference I have decided that if TransFairUSA wanted to hold a double-standard for small coffee roasters and multi-national corporations then I would have to take a principled stand and DUMP the "TransFairUSA" certification on my bags of coffee and I will notify Ithica Fine Chocolates that I would prefer they dump their TransFairUSA certification on their Art Bars and instead purchase their cocoa as a "direct buyer" from their co-op connection in Bolivia and tell them why. One HUGE benefit of direct buying is being able to give the cooperative MORE money (avoiding the fees for having the certification stamp in the first place) and allowing my coffee roaster to avoid their fees and the daunting audit process.
I have had a few conversations with small, people and business conscious coffee roasters like mine (Nora & Chris at Sweetwater) who are tired of the unfair behavior Trans Fair lays on them and the "hands-off" attitude they have with giant, wealthier coffee roasters and brewers like Starbucks and McDonalds! I am too! So, I guess once you read the article below you will understand why I am upset and feel the need to make a change.
I am beginning to see that what I really want is to promote relationships. I want to cultivate a relationship with my customers and my suppliers....this means I want my customers to do the same...really what this amounts to is becoming more trusting in each other. You trust that I will uphold my standards as a retailer to deal with "fairly traded" goods and I will make sure that my vendors are helping me to keep my word to you, my customers. Doesn't this sound rather "organic"? I LOVE IT !!! Direct relationships is the alternative to the labeling of "fair trade" when well intentioned people cannot get others to do the right thing.
peace.....Mindy : )
Dean's Beans and the Fairer Trade
Filed on Jun 15, 2007 at 8:55 AM PST By Alicia Erickson
Share: Digg Hugg Del.icio.us Reddit More by this writer
Brady provided a detailed description of the various Fair Trade labels and to which products they can be applied, but what is the real difference between them? Labels such as the TransFairUSA are applied to specific transactions, so you can be assured that the coffee or banana you are buying has met the Fair Trade criteria. However, this label does not ensure the company is committed to the goals and ideals behind Fair Trade in all their business.
Conversely, the Fair Trade Federation looks at the entire company, whether it is producer, wholesaler or retailer, and requires that they commit 100% to the Fair Trade ideals. Why does this make a difference? Unfortunately, as Fair Trade has gained popularity, some companies have taken advantage and used a few Fair Trade transactions as a marketing boost for their entire company’s public image.
One coffee company, Dean's Beans, has taken a different approach towards their Fair Trade model. Seeing some of the failings of the traditional certification labels and unhappy with the "great pretenders," they have chosen to become members of the Fair Trade Federation and commit 100% as a company to those ideals, and forego the TransFairUSA certification. They have found that there are less than "a dozen Fair Trade coffee companies in the USA." In fact, some of the larger companies (Starbucks, Seattle's Best, Green Mountain) that could make a significant impact in thousands of farmers lives have committed only to buying Fair Trade beans for 1-12% of their total purchases. And while farmers must meet stringent transparency and accountability guidelines, the companies purchasing the coffee are not held to the same standard, and often refuse to release the actual percentage of their coffee that is Fair Trade (a conspicuous requirement missing from TransFair).
While any size commitment to Fair Trade purchases is certainly positive, it sits a bit poorly when some of the loudest and proudest are sometimes the companies doing the least. "It's important to remember that Fair Trade is an economic agreement, it's not a type of coffee." With only 20% of Fair Trade eligible coffee being sold as such and the remainder going at conventional pricing, there is certainly a great opportunity for these companies to increase their purchases.
Dean's Beans has laid out a business model they hope others will adopt and raise practices above Fair Trade standards:
All purchases from certified organic FLO cooperatives.
All purchases at or above international Fair Trade price.
Prefinancing whenever financially possible.
Additional six cent/lb Social Equity Premium paid to farmers for distribution, development, internal expenses, or however they choose to use funds.
An independent, public audit by Quality Assurance International of our Fair Trade practices, to be posted right here for all to see!
While it is positive such large companies from Starbucks to Wal-Mart to McDonalds have begun offering Fair Trade options, it is not enough. As consumers, it is our responsibility to seize the opportunity and demand more of a commitment to the entire idea of Fair Trade, and not be sedated with their small offerings, but rather push them to higher standards of business throughout their company.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Fair Trade Federation Conference
Well....I just finished my 10 day long trip to DC and it was a rewarding experience for me. Between the two conferences I met a wide variety of people who challenged me to look at my activist work and focus a bit more narrowly. I will begin with my 3 day Fair Trade Federation conference.
I was able to meet all kinds of people involved in the fair trade movement from wholesalers to a producer coordinator from Guatemala to interior designers and financiers (who understand the special needs that fair trade people have) to newly graduated students looking to find their place in the movement. The founder of Ten Thousand Villages, Paul Myers, was the keynote speaker and he was very thoughtful in his speech on the future of fair trade and how we need to be deliberate and careful about mainstreaming our concept. This is a real concern of mine and there are some serious impacts involved in mixing fair trade into publicly held corporations.
I discovered a lot about myself in this conference. I have recently been challenging what my role is in having a fair trade shop. I am not a natural-born salesperson and given my interest in being an activist, I am not well-suited for sitting in a store for several hours a day (as many of you can attest when trying to visit my shop and seeing a closed sign...my apologies to you all who have encountered that) when I could be out educating the public on the concept of fair trade. I come from a long line of educators and believe that I have been given the gift of teaching (I just cannot do it in the formal "institutional" sense). The difference between an effective teacher and an ineffective teacher is the ability to convey your message well. This is where I lack confidence. Somehow I must become more comfortable speaking publicly and I need to find a way to earn a "living wage" doing it.
Back to the conference.... It was great being there with my vendor, Allen Joseph, from "Living Wage Co." and meeting his brother Rich from Wisconsin who were there promoting the fair trade gift card. This is a great advance forward for the fair trade marketplace because it gives people the ability to give this gift card to friends/family members who can use the card in a fair trade shop near them (provided the shop is set up to accept the gift cards).
The weekend was full of individual workshops as well as general panel discussions that took place intermittently. They were very informative and one special guest panelist from MayaWorks in Guatemala (and native Guatemalan), Mirian Otzin, who had a translator help her commuicate with us about what the producer groups are doing to bring our marketplace their lovely crafts and how fair trade wages have improved the lives of people in her area. I was deeply gratified to hear how important fair trade is to the people in her country. What we, United States citizens, need to understand is one very important fact about fair trade which is that when people in 3rd world countries are paid a living wage, they are able to stay in their homeland and thrive instead of fleeing for economic reasons and adding to the immigration issue that seems to have a grip of fear across our country. If you want to stop the flow of immigrants coming across our borders then stop buying "free trade" products that are paying poverty wages and support fair trade.
Without a doubt the more interesting of the two conferences for me was the "Taming the Giant Corporation" held the second weekend in June. I will spend more time sharing the notes I was able to take on the various topics that were discussed (as much as I could write down).
Stay tuned!
peace,
mindy
I was able to meet all kinds of people involved in the fair trade movement from wholesalers to a producer coordinator from Guatemala to interior designers and financiers (who understand the special needs that fair trade people have) to newly graduated students looking to find their place in the movement. The founder of Ten Thousand Villages, Paul Myers, was the keynote speaker and he was very thoughtful in his speech on the future of fair trade and how we need to be deliberate and careful about mainstreaming our concept. This is a real concern of mine and there are some serious impacts involved in mixing fair trade into publicly held corporations.
I discovered a lot about myself in this conference. I have recently been challenging what my role is in having a fair trade shop. I am not a natural-born salesperson and given my interest in being an activist, I am not well-suited for sitting in a store for several hours a day (as many of you can attest when trying to visit my shop and seeing a closed sign...my apologies to you all who have encountered that) when I could be out educating the public on the concept of fair trade. I come from a long line of educators and believe that I have been given the gift of teaching (I just cannot do it in the formal "institutional" sense). The difference between an effective teacher and an ineffective teacher is the ability to convey your message well. This is where I lack confidence. Somehow I must become more comfortable speaking publicly and I need to find a way to earn a "living wage" doing it.
Back to the conference.... It was great being there with my vendor, Allen Joseph, from "Living Wage Co." and meeting his brother Rich from Wisconsin who were there promoting the fair trade gift card. This is a great advance forward for the fair trade marketplace because it gives people the ability to give this gift card to friends/family members who can use the card in a fair trade shop near them (provided the shop is set up to accept the gift cards).
The weekend was full of individual workshops as well as general panel discussions that took place intermittently. They were very informative and one special guest panelist from MayaWorks in Guatemala (and native Guatemalan), Mirian Otzin, who had a translator help her commuicate with us about what the producer groups are doing to bring our marketplace their lovely crafts and how fair trade wages have improved the lives of people in her area. I was deeply gratified to hear how important fair trade is to the people in her country. What we, United States citizens, need to understand is one very important fact about fair trade which is that when people in 3rd world countries are paid a living wage, they are able to stay in their homeland and thrive instead of fleeing for economic reasons and adding to the immigration issue that seems to have a grip of fear across our country. If you want to stop the flow of immigrants coming across our borders then stop buying "free trade" products that are paying poverty wages and support fair trade.
Without a doubt the more interesting of the two conferences for me was the "Taming the Giant Corporation" held the second weekend in June. I will spend more time sharing the notes I was able to take on the various topics that were discussed (as much as I could write down).
Stay tuned!
peace,
mindy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
